Exceptions
by Green-Valentine-Eyes
Summary: Short story about Draco Malfoy and Irma (OC). It all starts with an innocent little hex.
1. Chapter 1

"Is it true?" One of the Weasley duo from the year above asked me excitedly as they each sat either side of me on the Gryffindor table of the Great Hall. I wasn't actually in Godric's house, I'd been sorted into Slytherin but managed to maintain good friendships with Harry and Ron and a rather close bond with Hermione – with whom I was currently working on a potions report while having toast.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," I replied idly flipping the page of the lengthy textbook.

"We heard that you hexed Malfoy before breakfast," I smirked slightly, calmly taking another bite of my toast and jam.

"Don't be ridiculous, Fed, Irma would never do something so foolhardy." Hermione interjected making it even more difficult to suppress my smile.

"It's George, actually," he mocked her, "C'mon then, is it true or not?"

"Might be," I said in full knowledge everyone would take this to be essentially a yes.

"Bloody hell!" Ron cried swallowing a large mouthful of pancake, "What did the git do to provoke that?"

"He made a crass comment about my legs."

"Well they are looking lovely today Irma," Fred commented jokingly leaning back to peer under the table.

"Careful or I'll turn you into a pig as well." I remarked coolly. I knew Fred was only fooling around (as always) so I thought I'd humour him.

"Is that what you did to Malfoy?" He asked eagerly, his head quickly snapping back to my eye level.

"Seemed a fitting punishment for him being such a swine," I chuckled slightly at my own bad joke and the twins laughed with me while Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You're going to be in so much trouble." She protested.

"Oh, please, as if Snape would ever deduct points from his own house."

"She has a point Hermione," Ron said between pancake mouthfuls, he received only a huff and a pouty return to reading from her.

"In any case, congratulations, we reckon you've done the whole school a favour," the twins patted me on the shoulder and went off, likely to embark on some mischief about the castle.


	2. Chapter 2

I was actually expecting some trouble despite what I'd said to Hermione earlier, everyone knew Snape played a favourites game that always had Draco on the upper hand. So I was very surprised when I got through the whole day completely unbothered by any members of faculty. I'd stayed in the library pretty late since today was Friday and I wanted to get all my assignments done so I could have the weekend to do whatever I pleased. I stretched out around ten o'clock and gathered my stuff with a yawn; after a day of hexing and learning I was pretty damn tired.

I traipsed down the gently moving staircases towards the dungeons from the third floor. Sometimes I hate having a common room so far away from everything.

"I heard Irma's been taking after old Peeves pranking today," I heard the poltergeist sing behind me as I walked through the dead corridors.

"I hardly think so."

"I saw a little piglet squealing through the corridors earlier all the way to Madame Pommfrey, Professor McGonagall had to get involved to reverse _your_ hex and turn the pig back into that whiney boy Draco. I don't care to tell you how many times he said his father would hear of it." Peeves unfolded the story to me: I don't think he particularly liked Draco's cruel, often humourless nature. It didn't agree with Peeves light-hearted joking.

"I suppose I might have had something to do with that." I shrugged with a small smile. Peeves generally responded to irritance more than anything else, there was no changing the pesky poltergeist so I found it easier just to go along with whatever he said instead of getting frustrated.

"He wouldn't say it was you, you know." He said wryly.

"He didn't?" I turned in surprise to look at his translucent form flying slightly above me.

"Noooope, he said he didn't even see the person that attacked him because they hexed him from behind then ran away hiding their face. I knew it was too tenuous to be true but the teachers seemed to just eat up his story."

"Well that explains a lot…" I muttered, finally understanding why I hadn't been reprimanded for hexing a fellow student (even if I was provoked).

"Old Peevesy thinks Draco's in loooove." I rolled my eyes as he continued singing, "Draco and Irma sitting in a tree~"

"Quit it Peeves, that's such a lie, he just doesn't want to admit he got hexed by a girl," I laughed at Draco's silly chauvinistic attitude.

"Irma's got a boyfriend! Irma's got a boyfriend!" Peeves chanted at me.

"Goodbye Peeves," I said resolutely, still maintaining a dry humorous smile.

"And his name is Draco Malfoy!" The joker called after me as he stayed hovering in one place while I continued walking.

"No it isn't!" I called back over my shoulder as I rounded the corner towards the dungeon stairs. What a fool.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hemlock," I spoke the password when I was down in the dungeons and I washed up in the common room with a sense of relief. I was pretty sure I had a headache developing from being up so late and I wanted to waste no time getting up to my dorm room so I could sleep for the next thousand years.

"You're back late," Said a bitter voice somewhere in the room, I looked around having been caught off guard and eventually landed my line of sight on Draco. He was sitting darkly on one of the luxurious armchairs bathing in a green light with his arms crossed in front of him; he did not look happy.

"Oh, hey Draco…you're up pretty late too, what are you still doing down here?" I said awkwardly.

"Waiting for you," He stated, I was hoping he wouldn't be since that might mean he was going to hex me back or challenge me to a duel or something and I was way too tired for any of that.

"Look, Draco, about this morning," I sighed and rubbed my eyes a little, "Y'know I'm not going to insult you by apologising because we both know I'm not sorry for hexing you, I mean I'm sorry about the inconvenience it caused you and everything. I guess I could have used a-"

"Stop talking Irma." He interrupted me while he stood up and started walking over, "I don't care about the hex."

"You don't?" I asked in genuine surprise, it wasn't like him at all to just let something like this go.

"No, why do you think I didn't tell anyone it was you that hexed me?"

"Uhm, because being hexed by a girl somehow brings ultimate shame on Draco Malfoy's code of cool?" I said hesitantly, just in case the notion somehow offended him. I let my book bag slip of my shoulder onto the floor and laid a preparatory hand on my wand.

"That's not the reason," he said with a tone that sounded something vaguely akin to amusement. It wasn't a tone I was used to from Malfoy, _malicious_ amusement I'd definitely heard from him but his voice didn't have any ill-intentioned undertone to it. That in itself set me on edge. He was behaving so out of character, staying up to wait for me, being unbothered about the hex, walking across the common room to me in such a deliberately slow manner.

"Uhm, Draco?" I prompted him to keep talking because this silent closing of distance was making me very nervous, I tried to put my weight on my back foot and step away in a subtle manner but it wasn't going to work.

"You know I wasn't kidding this morning," He murmured as he stopped directly in front of me, close enough that I could see the blonde tips of his eyelashes, "I really like you Irma."

I laughed. Oh Merlin, did I really just laugh? I always laugh when I'm nervous and his clear blue eyes were fixed into mine. Suddenly the laugh was stifled out of me as I watched his gaze flit down for such a brief moment I was barely sure it happened until he leant down pressed his lips onto mine. I returned his soft affection.

'Wait, what am I doing?' Thoughts ran past my eyelids at hyper-speed, 'I can't be kissing him, it's Malfoy, I hexed him just this morning. This must be an automatic reaction or something because I'm tired?'

My hands slid over his shoulders and his rested on my waist gently bringing my body closer to him.

'This is so not an automatic reaction to being kissed anymore' I kept thinking it but I wasn't about to do anything to stop this. His kiss started to move away from the tender end of the spectrum as he swept our bodies over to a nearby wall, my back against it, I tangled my fingers into his smooth hair.

Merlin, since when have I fancied Draco Malfoy? I mean, we've always been friends and he's grown on me a little since he moved on from being a petty pre-teen. We have a playful exchange of teasing and lessons together and I like spending time with him probably more than any of the other Slytherins…But surely that's not a legitimate reason?

I paid less attention to these fleeting notions while he continued moving his hands over my waist and inviting my tongue into his mouth. He moved around the fabric of my shirt until he was on the bare skin of my side and he willingly moved closer at my slight encouragement.

"Draco," I said between his lips, he hummed in response and pressed another kiss onto me, "Nnn– Draco, no – get off – I can't." I panicked and pushed away from his shoulders when I felt him graze over my chest.

"Irma? What's the matter?" He asked worriedly as a pulled at my uniform in a flustered manner while making a clumsy grab for my bag.

"I'm sorry Draco. We can talk later okay, I really need to go to bed, I'll see you tomorrow," I said so quickly half the words turned into one big nonsensical blur as I hurried away to the dorm I shared with three other Slytherin students.

I sat on my bed for a while, the green tinge of the curtains was only just visible in the dark consuming the sleeping room, luckily my hasty entrance hadn't awoken anyone. I let out a light sigh that fluttered in the quiet air like a moth as I flopped down onto my bed and stared at the canopy above me. This thing wasn't going to go away but I would content myself to sleep for now; I curled up under the rich silky sheets and waited for less complicated dreams to take me.


	4. Chapter 4

I made my way up to the Great Hall for breakfast on Saturday morning having showered and pulled my dark brown curled hair into a high ponytail in an attempt to make my vision literally less interfered with. It wasn't helping as much as I wanted it to. I wasn't even sure anyone else would be up this early, usually students slept late whenever they could but I had no intention of colliding with Draco in the common room this morning. Or at all, for at least the rest of the day if I could help it. I spotted Hermione's thick hair at the end of the Gryffindor table, she was calmly drinking pumpkin juice while flipping through a book that was likely as complex as it was fascinating.

"Hey Hermione," I greeted as I sat down across from her, the hall was fairly empty apart from a few groups (mostly lower years that weren't as exhausted from their lesser workload) engaging in wizard chess and trivial conversation.

"Oh, good morning Irma," She said looking up from her book, having been so engrossed she hadn't noticed me until I spoke, "It's a bit early for you isn't it?"

I laughed slightly, it's true that I tend to be rather sloth like over weekend mornings, "I suppose I just fancied getting the most out of today since I have no work to be doing."

She beamed in appreciation of my studious attitude, "Do you think you'd like to come to Hogsmeade with me then? I have a few extra supplies that I'd like to pick up today as soon as possible."

I was about to express my uncertainty about going to Hogsmeade today with some fictitious excuse to replace the fact that I didn't want to accidently come across Draco and likely be cornered into discussing the incident last night in the common room. Saving me from this, Harry and Ron stormed into the hall looking like they'd rolled out of bed and all the way down from Gryffindor tower they were so dishevelled.

"I can't believe she's sprung this on us an hour in advance, can you imagine the look on their faces when we're all falling asleep on our brooms?" Ron questioned, seemingly to the whole universe, in his frustration.

"What's got you two so riled?" Hermione asked calmly.

"Bloody Angelina!" Ron exclaimed as he flumped down in the seat next to her and dropped his head into his hands with a huff, I don't think I'd ever seen him out of bed this early. Hermione and I turned to look at Harry for a more complete answer.

"Angelina's put the Quidditch team in for a test match against Slytherin this morning since Ravenclaw had to drop out because their chasers have both taken ill with the flu." He explained.

Hermione was sympathetic to their plight suggesting all sorts of ways for them to achieve a higher energy level state (mostly from food or running but it was very kind of her all the same), I couldn't help being quietly thrilled. Draco was the seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team so he'd be in the castle for a substantial amount of time that he wouldn't be able to go to Hogsmeade by the time the test match was done. So I'd be able to avoid him for the whole morning and a good portion of the afternoon as well.

"I was going to go to Honeydukes today and have a nice relax in the common room and now I'm stuck playing bloody Quidditch at stupid o'clock in the overcast." I zoned back into the conversation to Ron complaining again.

"Really Ronald, it could be a lot worse, I think you're over-reacting." Hermione stated in a similar tone to the one I'd heard her use in ancient runes classes when she was pointing out something everyone seemed to have missed.

"On a related note, what time do you want to head off to Hogsmeade, Hermione?" I took advantage of the lapse in conversation to secure that I was accepting her invitation.

"Well, I'll need to collect my list and money from the tower so we could leave around eleven for a slow walk down?" She suggested.

"It's like your rubbing it in my face." Ron said begrudgingly as I nodded to Hermione's plan. He perked up notably when she promised to bring him back something nice from Honeydukes if he would stop being so moody.


	5. Chapter 5

As the fat lady portrait swung open Hermione and I climbed through into the Gryffindor common room, the climate immediately shifted from the formal chill of the stone corridor to the inviting warmth of several fires. The room was just as last time, brimming with house pride in red and yellow, the billboard was littered with crowded proclamations of the latest achievements of students, with the occasional informative notice hidden amongst it. A few more students were awake now and lounging in the cosy red armchairs and sofas, they had a more tattered appearance than the furniture in my own common room but were no less comforting. I was generally welcome in the Gryffindor tower despite it not being my home ground because of my friendship with so many of the house members. There was occasionally a little opposition to my general green tie presence but it was seldom voiced by the skittish children in lower years.

"Irma! Over here!" I looked over to see Fred and George sitting on either side of a sofa with their feet up on the coffee table.

"What are you two still doing here? Don't you have Quidditch practice?" Hermione questioned as we walked over.

"Technically yes," Said one of the twins.

"But we have every intention of skiving for as long as we can." Finished the other.

"Which will likely be up until the point Angelina comes up screaming bloody murder, then we'll get a shift on." He bounced back adding a large comical yawn.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "You really ought to start taking something, if not your studies, more seriously."

"That's why Fred and I are starting up a business plan, Hermione," Said George mockingly.

"Yeah, serious business!" Fred pointed out through a genuine yawn that George's fake one had provoked.

"Yes, matching pyjama bottoms just oozes businessman from the both of you," I remarked sarcastically against their wardrobe choice, they actually had to look at each other's attire before they realised with a laugh they did in fact match. It must be a twin thing.

"We heard something very interesting from Peeves earlier." Said Fred in a knowing tone, looking at me over his light eyebrows.

"Oh yes, that's right we did!" George mimicked the expression but gave me no further information that the furtive glance he shared with his brother.

I began to panic slightly that Peeves had told them something completely ludicrous about Draco that, if they repeated, I wasn't sure I'd be able to deny convincingly. If they just asked the once, of course I'd be able to smoothly lie my way through it, I was a Slytherin after all. But with Fred and George, it was never just the once, I'd be subject to a relentless stream of jesting provocation for entertainment value, and I knew any façade I tried to maintain would begin to crack.

"What did he say?" I asked under a smokescreen of curiosity and suspicion to throw them off any inkling of my alarm.

"He told us that when they finally undid your hex, Draco didn't snitch on you."

I was relieved at this news but only nodded saying, "Yeah, I figured that was the case since I didn't get any bother about it yesterday."

"Well, you're lucky and I hope you realise next time you might not be as fortunate," Hermione contributed anxiously, she was clearly worried this event was going to lead into my rapid downward spiral into some sort of delinquent.

"Don't worry yourself, there won't be a next time," I told her something to this effect which received a simultaneous exclamation of "not likely" from the twins.

"Why d'you reckon he didn't tell anyone though, Georgie?" Fred asked while tapping a finger on his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, I don't know, it certainly is a mystery isn't it?" George stated over dramatically. They both turned to look at me will stroking imaginary beards, I glanced at Hermione but she also looked puzzled.

Suddenly George snapped his fingers announcing, "Ah! I've got it!"

I raised an eyebrow at him quizzically, "That's a first."

He laughed sardonically and replied, "We think Draco's crushing on you Irma."

"Yup." Fred agreed and they both leaned back on the cushions with their arms folded in satisfaction at the tinge that was no doubt coming to my pale cheeks to match their common room décor.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous you two!" Hermione announced, "He's just a fool that can't admit to being hexed by someone fair play, especially if it would mean conceding that a girl was quicker with the wand than he is."

I don't tell Hermione enough how much I love her.

"Exactly, imagine how his father would react to _that_." I supported, I could feel the red in my face sinking back down as my embarrassment went back to bed in a far off corner of my mind. The twins began hilarious (if somewhat offensive) impersonations of Draco and his father that soon caught the attention of some other students. While they continued their exaggerated performance for the groups of spectators, Hermione nudged me to continue on up to her dorm and then onward to Hogsmeade.


	6. Chapter 6

I could hear a deathly shrill screech almost as bad as a Mandrake, but it seemed distant, as though I were suspended in water that was diffusing the sound around me so I couldn't identify the source.

My lashes brushed closely against something solid and I realised I'd tangled myself in the covers again. The shrieking had been Celia Blishwick and the other girls in my dorm fawning over something she'd received in the post. It wasn't unusual for her parents to lavish her with expensive gifts, but now she was in correspondence with one of the boys from Durmstrang who liked spoiling her just as well. I flopped ungracefully out of bed and headed straight to the showers. I wasn't really in the mood for it this morning.

It was Monday. My avoiding of Draco had gone remarkably well over the weekend, I spent most of my time in the company of Hermione, Fred, George, Ron and Harry, which was a fairly safe place for me to be since Draco was hardly likely to approach me in that setting given the torrent of abuse he might receive. Even if I did spend part of my weekend helping Harry out with a few assignments he was well behind with, I didn't mind so much. I like being helpful and it wasn't as if I had nothing to gain.

I wasn't going to find it as easy this morning though. Of course classes were still running despite my desire to curl up and never leave the girls dorm; the time table does not bend to my whims.

Which meant I had Ancient Runes this morning with Draco whether I liked it or not.

"You coming for breakfast in the hall or not, Redfern?" Asked Cathy from her seat on the edge of her bed with a charms textbook. I liked Cathy, but I never really liked how she referred to me by my surname all the time, we'd been rooming together for long enough that formality wasn't necessary.

"No thanks, Murton, you go ahead," Despite myself I still insist on calling her by her last name as well, she seemed to set a formal tone of conversation that I often felt needed to be adhered to.

She nodded briefly and left so I could spend another thirty minutes fussing with my hair so I didn't have to leave the comfort of my room until it was time for my class.

Eventually I took up my bag and headed out, peering cautiously into the common room before I cut through, scanning for a particular blonde head that was thankfully nowhere in sight.

There were dribs and drabs of students in the corridors filtering out from the hall, mostly first years terrified about what would happen if they were even a minute late for class (which I always find somewhat ironic since they receive the most leniencies from professors for such mishaps). When I arrived at the classroom just off the divination tower the two person desk I housed was empty. I wondered for a moment if Draco wasn't here yet because he was waiting for me at breakfast still, I almost felt guilty. Almost. I definitely was not feeling sorry for him…

Until he actually came into the classroom that is. The whole class was already seated before he arrived looking like he'd just been kicked by a hippogriff again as he ghosted over to our desk. Part of me wanted to at least acknowledge his sadness by asking if he was okay, but the cowardice in me felt that wasn't so much appropriate.

"So what did you dig out of the history books on the origin of the number symbols?" I asked him when we were instructed to share our findings. I didn't want to discuss our recent event, I thought it would be better to stay professional in classes but he definitely had other ideas.

"I missed you at breakfast Irma, and all weekend," He said, trying to down play the dejection in his voice because Merlin knows he doesn't handle his plans not going the way he envisions particularly well.

"Sorry, I got up late and I've been busy."

"Busy with Potter and his mud-blood friend." He added bitterly.

"There's no need to get jealous, _Malfoy_." I bit back venomously.

"What's wrong Redfern? Have I hit a nerve?" He said in a low voice, jibing at the fact he knew my bloodline wasn't as pure as the other Slytherins would like to believe it was. My glare seemed to be an effective warning making the sneer drop from his face as he rubbed his temples, "Irma…I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

"Yes you did, don't lie."

"It's not a lie." He implored having realised his mistake, he'd made it only once before in third year but then he was too proud to apologise and could only wait a few weeks before returning sheepishly to our friendship.

"Really? Because you seem to be telling an awful lot of them lately." Even I concede that I was being cruel to him, he was always quick to temper but that's not an excuse for his apparent inability to control the tongue in his head.

"Irma, I admit it, I _am_ jealous, you know how much of a selfish prat I can be – am being right now. But the feelings I expressed in the common room _were_ genuine," He whispered and I noted his nervous glancing to ensure no one was listening in. What a rumour it would be, Draco Malfoy baring his heart on his sleeve.

"Well I don't believe you." I told him in a cold, and deliberately haughty, tone.

"Well you're wrong!" My eyes widened as I stared at him, his frustration had overheated to a point that his voice was louder than even he intended it to be. By no means was it a yell or anything of the like, Malfoy men were much too superior for outbursts of that nature, but it was just loud enough that neighbouring desks tuned into Draco Fury FM.

"Mr Malfoy, while I am thrilled that ancient rune studies empower you with such a fiery passion, I would request that you deposit that vigorous temper of yours outside of my classroom so your brain can engage with a more constructive style of criticism."

"Yes Professor." Draco replied coldly.

"Draco, we can talk about this later, right now I would appreciate it if we could focus on the runes." I spoke in a hushed tone receiving a mere defeated nod.

The rest of the class passed uneventfully, people had seemed to assume that Draco's outburst was nothing more than his usual temperament boiling over something entirely trivial that didn't suit him. They weren't entirely wrong, but even I wouldn't degrade his feelings enough to call them trivial. I just didn't know how to address it even in my own head, never mind in an actual conversation with the person in question.


End file.
